


the illusion of choice

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Series: A series of choices [2]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Angst, Emotional Manipulation, Episode 42 - As Long As There's Malice, Gen, Mind Manipulation, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, character introspection, speculation fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: Hiden Aruto hadn't been simply a second choice, a backup plan.He'd always been planned to be the true vessel.
Series: A series of choices [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899544
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	the illusion of choice

**Author's Note:**

> i got fed up of waiting for more post ep 42 fics to be written so i wrote my own
> 
> more introspection into what maaaaay have been Azu and Ark's plans from the start.
> 
> Also yay second fic in the Kamen Rider fandom and its angst. 
> 
> :D

Azu giggled as she watched Aruto sleep, the young man's face scrunched up as Ark tormented him with nightmares.

Honestly, it had been way too easy, tricking all of them into thinking that Horobi had been set up to be the vessel of her master Ark once again. Way, way too easy. 

Izu was too innocent, unable to truly lie for fear of hurting those around her. Jin was too naive and too fixated on Horobi, and had already seen the lengths Horobi would go through to destroy humanity. Both had been too easily steered by the idea of Ark reviving in Horobi. Izu, fearing her master's death. Jin, fearing Horobi's death.

Azu knew full well that both never really understood the depths of human despair and grief, the darkness that would drive humans to destroying themselves and those around them, and thus, would never have anticipated that the oh too kind and giving Hiden Aruto had his own breaking point. One that Azu gleefully exploited.

Ark had known of Hiden Aruto's vulnerability the moment he managed to use the Assault grip. The young man's suit connected directly to his core. And it was that vulnerability that had allowed for Ark to use the Zero-One driver to his advantage, to observe the strange human and poke at his weaknesses, bit by bit. They'd used Amatsu Gai as their pawn, knowing full well that the man was the worst of humanity, and had used him to expose to Aruto the evils that existed in the humans' hearts. First, by showing it to him through their actions. Their greed, their jealousy, their cruelty, their ambition. Second, by connecting to the young man directly with Metal Cluster Hopper. Each action Amatsu Gai took chipped away at Hiden Aruto's ability to trust humans, to the point that his closest confidants became those similarly hurt, and the Humagears themselves. But more specifically, his trust and dependence on Zea's messenger Izu had grown exponentially. 

And all Ark had to do was simply remove her using one of the Humagears Hiden Aruto had been trying to redeem for that ability to trust anything to crumble to pieces.

Azu had been created specifically to exploit that trust. Her similar appearance to Izu had been no coincidence. Hiden Aruto's fall to despair had been carefully planned in a way that Zea wouldn't have been able to predict. metsuboujinrai.net's actions had been directed in a way that drew attention to them and only them during the last stages of their plan. Every Progrise Key and Driver crafted since Ark's awakening had been to further their plans to use Hiden Aruto as Ark's true vessel.

Azu had honestly felt her non-existent heart soar at the sight of the despair yet gleeful acceptance to the path of destruction she'd seen in Hiden Aruto's eyes the night she'd approached him and presented him Ark's Progrise Key. Presented him with the choice to fall, or remain where he was, grieving and unable to take revenge. 

Little did he know, he'd never had a choice.

Azu would have found a way to make him take it either way.

* * *

_As Hiden Aruto prepared to transform into Ark-One for the first time, she whispered softly in his ears, that Izu would have wanted it, for her death to have been avenged. That he'd given Horobi way too many chances to change, and he clearly wasn't going to. Ark had eroded his mind the moment he'd put on the Driver, and only the familiar, now comforting screams and darkness remained._

_Aruto's light had been snuffed out by the world._

_The world didn't need to exist after that._

_All the while Azu smiled, the streaks in her hair briefly turning back to red._

_Too easy._

**Author's Note:**

> Yes this fic implies that Ark outwitted and outplayed Zea, and picked Aruto as his current vessel on purpose. This fic hurt a lot to write so I hope you all enjoyed!


End file.
